The investing habits of the rich aren't all that different from the investing habits of the rest of us. Sure, millionaires have the means to access exotic investments -- and some certainly do -- but it turns out the favorite place to put their money to work is a familiar one: the U.S. stock market. When TIGER 21, a private investing club, surveyed its high-net-worth members in 2016, publicly traded stocks topped the list of favored investments.

Advisory professionals face a wide range of challenges in the course of building and running their practices. Some of the most pressing, especially for advisors whose income is directly proportionate to their assets under management, are related to achieving consistent growth in the size and number of client relationships. This includes finding ways to make themselves and their practices stand out among other similar providers, especially to wealthy and ultra-wealthy individuals and families.

It seems that in this world of constant Trump-watching some of Wall Street's recent foibles have gone unnoticed. The mood on Wall Street right now, especially in hedge fund land where beating the market is paramount, is a bit desperate and confused. Returns are limp and hedge fund investors are looking to take their money elsewhere.

Most millionaires aren’t born rich. During his three decades researching the wealthy, Thomas J. Stanley, co-author of “The Millionaire Next Door,” consistently found that between 80% and 85% of all millionaires are self-made. Some earned their fortunes through hard work; others, by saving aggressively. Many amassed wealth by investing wisely.

Ron Weiner remembers sitting his two girls down to discuss the amount of money they stood to inherit. One was in college and the other in high school at the time, and they wanted nothing to do with the conversation.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And perhaps the most profitable, too. By learning what great investors such as Warren Buffett, Prem Watsa and others are doing with their money, you can get a good idea of what you should be doing with yours.

Canada’s richest people are a small but growing group that’s on track to control almost 70 per cent of personal wealth in the country. With at least $1-million each to plunk into a portfolio, these individuals tend to take a different approach to investing than the other 95 per cent of the Canadian population.